Entries in Sega Saturn
(6)

he power of fandom is a fickle force to be reckoned with; the passionate devotion of a dedicated following can either propel the object of said affection to perpetual stardom, or alienate any sort of appeal it may have had with an obsessive toxicity that could stigmatize it beyond repair, for years upon years.

This sort of phenomenon has struck a number of video game franchises, but none have been more affected by it quite like the Sonic the Hedgehog property. The speedy SEGA mascot has been an industry icon for over 25 years, and yet has fallen from the place of universal acclaim, into a spot of irreverent polarization. These two camps are broken down into the somewhat ambivalent spectators who barely bother to care about him, and those who still swear their loyalty to the spikey-haired hero, in spite of the checkered past that he’s led in recent in years.

It’s been clear for near a decade now that most of the folks still on Sonic Team have forgotten what made the character so appealing in the first place, but it’s only now that SEGA has finally arrived at that same conclusion. The big wigs have tried a myriad of ideas to reinvent their icon, and most have them have fallen flat; why not give the reigns to the only force that could give their star mascot the justice that he deserves—the fans themselves.

onic Mania is fast approaching, and while we don’t have our review ready just yet, we do have a few special looks at some choice cuts from the Blue Blur’s past that we think have influenced the direction seen in the new 2D throwback.

The next game up is one that gets a lot of praise despite being another obscure entry from the Hedgehog’s prime, as we sit down and play Sonic CD on the SEGA CD. Unlike Chaotix, this title has recently seen re-releases across a bevy of modern platforms, and it was in that re-release that Christian White got his start with the franchise under SEGA’s payroll as well.

Join Ser and George as they discuss whether or not this game deserves the distinction of being the best 16-bit Sonic title ever done in another new Play Play!

onic Mania is fast approaching, and while we don’t have our review ready just yet, we do have a few special looks at some choice cuts from the Blue Blur’s past that we think have influenced the direction seen in the new 2D throwback.

The first game in this little mini-series of ours is Knuckles’ Chaotix for the SEGA 32X. While this one is particularly obscure, it’s certainly notable for being the only 2D Sonic title that was developed for a 32-bit platform, as paltry as the 32X may seem to that distinction—and weirder enough, Sonic isn’t even playable in it.

Join Ser and George as they wax some nostalgia with equal parts trivia over may arguably be one of the most bright-ass games you’ll ever see in this latest Play Play!

ne of the more intricate nuances of video game culture strangely enough is all of the content that doesn’t leave the cutting room floor. The unreleased treasure trove of games and levels comprise a sense of personal history that actively distinguishes video games from any other media form to this very day.

When these canceled bits of code and projects actually manage to see the light of day, the gaming community strives to make sure that spread the forbidden lovejoy of these unearthed games for as many as they can to play it; and sometimes, it takes some fan efforts to go on and finish what the original team never could. Chris Senn’s effort for the famous hedgehog’s flagship Saturn effort for example is a holy grail of sorts for unreleased games; and a team of fans by the name of Project AXSX has taken it upon themselves to deliver a fan completion of the mythical Sonic X-treme.

We got our hands on a demo of it, a really early work-in-progress of it, and well, we try to be really over optimistic over whether or not this ambitious take on the blue blur deserves to exist.

ack in the beginning, before George Kamitani and company started the Vanillaware brand, they worked on a project in conjunction with Sega and Atlus for the 2D Powerhouse that was the Sega Saturn; game that would become a Holy Grail of sorts on the platform before it would get rereleased again on the PSP—Princess Crown. So many accolades have been attributed to this title aside from it being the catalyst for Vanillaware, but after all this time, have those accolades held up? Should this game have seen a stateside release after all?

George doesn’t really think so, and is Andrew still excited for the game after all this time? Tune in and find out as well simultaneously discover just how good Ser’s Japanese really is, as we stumble around our understanding of it along for the ride.